The New World
by skittleslove143
Summary: What was little Alfred like before England and the Europeans came and found him? Who did he live with and was he truly happy? A look into the life of our favorite hero before he was established as a true nation. Thank you to Hetalia and Pocahontas for inspiring me to write this story.
1. Chapter 1

A little boy in a simple white shirt ran along the bank of the river laughing at the wriggling polywogs. He was so entranced that he didn't hear the steady pounding of the drums announcing the arrival of the hunters. It wasn't until he heard the blow of the horn, he stood.

"Kicke!" he exclaimed.

He ran as swiftly as his little feet could carry him until he came to a clearing. There stood who he was looking for. A woman, no, young lady, of only about 18, Maiara. Only to him, this girl was Kicke, his mama.

She smiled as she heard his excited footsteps and turned around just in time as he blasted into her arms. He giggled as she handed him her prized horn. He licked his lips wetly and blew hard into the horn creating the same sound he had heard moments before.

"You've been practicing" she whispered proudly as wives, sisters, mothers, and daughters passed by chanting.

"Hega-Hega-yampi-ye-hega, yampi-ye-he-he-hega."

Maiara was about to join when a hand tugged at her dress. She looked down and saw clear water eyes staring up at her.

"Kicke, what do they mean?"

"They are giving thanks to our Mother, Aputsiaq" she replied gently.

The blank expression on his face told her she need to explain further.

She bent down and picked him up placing him on her shoulders.

"Steady as the beating drum, singing to the cedar flute, seasons go and season come, bringing corn and bearing fruit."

She walked as she said these words to him, his little ears swallowing every bit of information his Kicke had to offer. She stopped by the banks of the river he had been playing at.

"By the waters sweet and clean, where the mighty sturgeon lives."

Here she turned to the fields where countless farmers were working and tilling the fields.

"Plant the squash and reap the beans, all the Earth, our Mother gives."

She continued walking and stopped at the fire the wise man had lit entrancing the children with images of clouds and rabbits signaling a happy return. Maiara smiled as she heard Aputsiaq cry with joy and the old man say,

"Oh, Great Spririt, hear our song, help us keep the ancient ways. Keep the sacred fire strong, and walk in balance all our days."

She walked a little ways more to the lake where the boats of the returning hunters were gathering.

"So you see Aputsiaq, plum to seed to bud to plum, seasons go and seasons come as steady as the beating drum."

She lifted him off her soldiers and placed him on a high nearby rock. She winked at him as she tunred around and put her hand to her mouth. She inhaled and let out a high pitched yell to let everyone know their brothers had arrived.

And at that moment, little Aputsiaq was never more proud to have this girl as his Kicke, his beloved mama.


	2. Chapter 2

Maiara left little Aputsiaq on the rock and went to greet the retuning chief.

"Welcome back Ujarak" and she took his hand gently in hers.

"It's good to be back," he said.

"I trust that relations with our neighbors went well?" she asked as she looked up at him.

At this, Chief Ujarak hesitated, "we must speak of this in private, call the wise man."

They both began walking towards his hut solemnly. Aputsiaq saw the look on her face and began following her.

Maiara turned and looked down, "not this time. I will come for you later."

He saw as, Antinanco, the wise man was called in as well. Curious, he lingered by the door and heard the stressed whispers as they began to talk.

"So, what is wrong, war? Famine?" Maiara's voice cracked, reminding her she needed to calm down.

"Nothing like that," reasoned the chief, "but they left me with a warning."

Antinanco looked as if he were about to speak, a knowing glint in his eyes but Maiara pressed on.

"A warning? About what, harvest has done well this year. None of our hunters have perished-"

Here the old man stood, weakly, and looked her in the eyes.

"I feared this would happen, the spirits have been telling me about this for quite some time."

He looked towards Ujarak, "it was about Aputsiaq, wasn't it?"

Outside the hut, little Aputsiaq gasped.

"Me? What have I done wrong?" he fought the urge to burst in and instead shifted his weight and continued listening.

Chief Ujarak sighed and hung his head, "they warned me about a boy with hair as bright as the sun and eyes clear like river water. There is only one boy who matches that description here."

He looked intently at Maiara who seemed to have lost the ability to even breathe.

"It's not possible," she said, her voice trembling.

Antinanco spoke up, "when you found him in the clearing, everyone was wary. You felt as though he served a purpose. What if it was a warning?"

Maiara now began getting angry, "a warning of what? He is a child! An innocent little boy and you expect me to believe that he will cause our people grief?"

Ujarak walked over to her and placed his arms around her, comforting her so as to calm her anger and quell her shaking voice.

Antinanco stood, about to leave and said, "It was not him the Great Spirit has told me about, but about a man who will come on a boat. He will look like him, hair like the sun, but eyes like grass. He will come and take him away. We simply have to be prepared for when he does."

He left, with Maiara in tears of frustration and Ujarak whispering comforting words to her. None noticed the small far haired boy shaking in fear and uncertainty.


	3. Chapter 3

Meanwhile, on the ocean, Captain Kirkland checked his map and his trusty compass. He smiled, pleased, as he called down to his men.

"Alright men, we've traversed a long way from England, I thank you all for your patience. If my skills have served us correctly we will be in the New World by tomorrow morning!"

A raucous cheer sounded throughout the lower decks. Kirkland smiled, he was far over from his pirating days, but he did enjoy sailing the oceans again. He was a seaman at heart after all.

Lost in his own thoughts he didn't hear his first mate, Alistair, coming up behind him until he felt a hard jovial slap to his back.

"Aye, captain, when we bring back all of the gold from this "New World" we'll be in King George's good graces and richer than those Spanish pigs."

He smiled at the thought, richer than that bugger Antonio who likes to show off his rings and useless baubles. He practically giggled, but composed himself.

"Yes, now shouldn't you be getting some sleep? We've a long day ahead of us tomorrow and I want all my men looking bright and in tip top shape."

Alistair grinned cheekily, "As you wish, O' Captain of mine."

He turned and walked down the stairs, "but not for long," he thought darkly.

Maiara awoke the next day with a gentle kiss to her forehead. She stirred and opened her eyes and looked into Ujarak's love filled ones.

"Good morning. Aputsiaq is due to wake up any moment and you promised him you would take him to see the buffalo today."

Maiara sat up and stretched, shaking out her long raven colored tresses. She smiled lightly, and turned to place her lips on Ujarak's.

He smiled into the kiss and pulled away, "you must be careful, you know the buffalo can be dangerous."

"Always so serious," she giggled and smiled fondly, leaning in to capture his lips in another kiss.

They broke apart when they heard a loud, "Ew!" and a sweet laugh shortly after.

"That's my cue to go, "Maiara said. Before she turned, she saw longing in Ujarak's eyes. She bent down and whispered,

"We'll have some alone time when I put him down for his nap in my hut."

Before he could respond, Aputsiaq's bounding energy rushed forward as he grabbed Maiara's hand, pulling and chattering the whole way about the buffalos he was going to see that day.

Walking along Maiara giggled. Aputsiaq would not stop talking about the buffalo and he seemed to grow red from lack of breath. They came to the small path before the open clearing and Maiara saw it was lined with sweet berries.

She bent down, "go the clearing and stay behind a bush. I'll pick some berries here and we'll have them for lunch, okay?"

He nodded eagerly and ran at top speed to the buffalo clearing. Maiara watched him as he ducked behind a bush and then busied herself with speedily picking berries.


	4. Chapter 4

Captain Kirkland was ecstatic as he heard the fated words, "Land Ho!"

Every crew member scattered about desperate to fulfill their duties so they could stretch their legs and get off the blasted boat that had imprisoned them for 14 months, 3 hurricanes and 1 water spout since leaving England.

They quickly approached the undiscovered land. The boat docked and the planks were lowered. Men clambered to get off but quickly stepped aside in respect for Captain Arthur Kirkland and his first mate Alistair.

Arthur walked briskly into the clearing before him and walked through the ranks of men already setting up camp. He stopped when he came across an animal he had never seen before.

It was big and brown with horns on its head. There were hundreds of them grazing peacefully on the grass beneath them. Arthur waved his hand and yelled at his men to make no sudden movements.

He moved slowly, inching towards the beasts until his crew only appeared small dots in the distance, the only visible feature was the ship, looming and rocking, in the waves.

He jumped ten feet in the air, though, when he heard a rustling from the bush he was near to.

Out popped a little boy, no more than 4 years old wearing a dirty white shirt of some kind.

"A little boy? What is he doing here? Has someone discovered this place already? Impossible?"

Arthur argued mentally with himself, not noticing the little boy shaking, his big blue eyes filling with tears, when suddenly he burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Maiara had just finished picking the last of the berries when she heard a cry.

"Aputsiaq!"

She ran as fast as her strong legs could take her, fearing the worst.

"What if a buffalo has gotten him, what if he is lost?"

These thoughts made her run faster until she stopped suddenly, her bare feet sliding on the soft grass. She was met face to face with a man, sun colored hair and eyes closed, holding Aputsiaq.

He hummed softly and Aputsiaq's tears had subsided. Maiara didn't know what to do so she stood there until the humming stopped and the strange man opened his eyes.

Arthur instantly felt a fatherly connection to this boy as he finished humming his favorite lullaby from when he was a boy. The little boy was falling asleep quickly so he opened his eyes, rocking gently back and forth.

What he saw though, shocked him and made him stand up violently jolting the child awake.

He feared the child would cry again until he saw him grin at the girl in front of him.

"Kicke!" he exclaimed happily, and jumped into her arms.

'Kicke' smiled at the little boy and looked up at him, gasping as she did.

Arthur didn't know what to do so he awkwardly stood there as she circled around him, sizing him up. The only thought running through his mind was, "for a savage, she's very beautiful."

Maiara didn't see him as a threat, so she held out her hand.

Arthur flinched back, he soon blushed, scolding himself for his cowardice and held out his own. The girl took it. She pointed to herself and said, "Maiara."

She then pointed towards the little boy and said, "Aputsiaq." She looked up at him expectantly.

Arthur realized that she was waiting for his name so he pointed to himself and said, "Arthur Kirkland."

Maiara smiled, she was happy he understood what she meant. Aputsiaq jumped out of her arms and ran towards the buffalo.

Arthur was scared, this was just a child. He touched 'Maiara's' arm and gestured towards the hulking animal.

Maiara looked at him in confusion.

"Does he not know what a buffalo is?" she almost laughed at the silliness of this man.

She pointed at the animal and said, "Ayani."

Arthur didn't know what to say, so he looked back at the clearing and saw little Asuts-, no, Aputi-, no that wasn't it either. He looked and he saw Alfred running towards an "Ayani."

What he saw then nearly made his eyes pop out of his head.

This little, tiny, four year old, Alfred, was spinning a buffalo in mid air.

Maiara just smiled.

"The savages are strong," thought Arthur and he slowly backed away to tell the others of what he just saw.


	5. Chapter 5

Arthur sprinted back towards his camp; his experience with that girl had opened his eyes to one thing. If there were more of them, they would be an obstacle to finding the gold.

He entered camp and grabbed Alistair, dragging him back to the ship and pulling him into the captain's quarters.

"It looks like you've seen a bleedin' ghost, what's wrong with you?" Alistair asked.

Arthur turned around and said, "There are people here already."

"What?"

Arthur looked Alistair dead in the eye, "savages, and there have to be more of them."

Alistair was at a loss for words, "who did you see?"

"I saw a young girl and what appeared to be her son, but they didn't look at all like each other."

"What do you mean," questioned Alistair.

"I mean he looked like me!" snapped Arthur. "He had blonde hair, and blue eyes! He didn't look at all like her."

Alistair stopped. He couldn't believe this; could they have found one in the new world?

"Arthur did you maybe stop to think that this little boy could have been a nation? Like you or me?"

Arthur looked at Alistair, "Of course, you idiot! But when I was found or you, we were in civilizations that looked like us! What could this possibly mean?! Is this a sign we should go back or press on?"

Arthur hung his head in his hands.

Alistair resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he put a hand on his "brother's" back.

"Maybe, this is all for the better. If we get in good with this little boy and her mother than maybe they can help us find the gold we're looking for. And even if they don't, we can take the boy and just clear out all the filthy beasts and find the gold ourselves."

Arthur looked up, unsure.

"He looked like me Alistair, and his mother was kind, she posed no threat. Dear God, she couldn't have been more than 19!"

He stood up, "For now, everyone will steer clear of them until I can figure out what to do. If we alert the men that we have found a nation we will have a mad scramble to find him and not enough concentration on the gold. Is that understood? Go gather the men and lightly tell them of this news but remember to tell them that they pose NO threat to us."

Alistair looked at his captain, a plan already brewing in his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Maiara was so concentrated on Aputsiaq that she didn't hear the pale faced man leave. She looked back and saw only the grassy clearing.

"I must go and tell the others," she thought and swiftly picked up the smiling boy and ran back towards her home.

"Kicke, I wanted berries!" whined Aputsiaq as he smelled the berries on Maiara's hands.

"There is food back at the camp," she replied sharply, immediately feeling guilty as the child's eyes welled up.

Maiara set him down as they were nearing home.

"I promise to pick you a big bundle of berries and you can eat them after your nap, okay?" she looked at Aputsiaq as he crossed his little arms and stamped his tiny, dirty, foot on the ground.

He wouldn't look at her and his face held a pout that only came out when he was upset.

"I know what'll make you feel better," Maiara whispered in a sly voice.

Aputsiaq's face was fighting a smile as Maiara picked him up.

"Tickle time!"

Maiara lifted up his shirt and blew onto his tummy making the little boy wiggle and squeal with delight. She didn't stop until his little face scrunched up and he grew limp in her arms, exhausted from trying to escape her tickle grip.

Maiara leaned down and touched foreheads with the boy.

"Are you still upset with me?" she said gently.

Her reply was a soft snore. He was fast asleep and clinging onto the front of her dress.

Maiara smiled and finished her journey home and set him down in her hut for his nap.

She was stroking his forehead when she felt two arms wrap around her slim waist.

"I've been waiting all day for you," a husky voice purred into her ear.

She smirked and turned her body to be held tighter in the man's embrace.

"I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long," Maiara rubbed her nose lovingly on his and squealed softly as he lifted her bridal style, practically running out of her hut to have some alone time in his.

Aputsiaq awoke to a grumbling tummy and with Kicke nowhere in sight. He got up and rubbed his sleepy eyes looking for the bundle of berries that Kicke had promised him.

He pouted when he didn't find them.

His stomach growled again, loudly.

"I know where we were, I'll just go back and find the berries there, it can't be so hard." He thought.

He got up from his mat on the floor and determinedly stepped outside, ready to eat some berries!

He waited until the coast was clear and quietly slipped out from under everyone's noses.

Aputsiaq hummed merrily and skipped as he went off in the direction of the field, of at least he thought was the direction of the field. He went deeper and deeper into the forest, his sweet voice petering out, and his skip losing its hop little by little.

The poor boy started to shake with fear. He bent down and wrapped his arms around his knees when he heard a rustling nearby.

"Kicke…" he called out softly, his voice unable to work properly.

The rustling grew louder, nearer.

"Kicke!" He called out again, his voice trembling with fear, tears streaming down his face.

His eyes widened as he was picked up from behind, two strong hands gripping him by the waist.

"Now, what do we have here?" a gruff voice said, the last thing little Aputsiaq heard before he blacked out in complete and utter terror.


	7. Chapter 7

Maiara lay gasping for breath a content smile on her face. Her body coated in a sheen, thin, layer of sweat and wrapped in Ujurak's strong arms, an equally blissful expression on his face as well.

Ujurak's hand moved to her stomach. He rubbed it softly; she knew exactly what he was thinking of.

"It will happen this time," she said softly, her small hand resting gently on his large calloused one.

"Only if you are strong enough," he whispered back, "You were near death the last time, I prayed to the Great Spirit to help you and our child, but he only saved one."

His voice cracked on the final word, Maiara could tell he was near tears.

Her hand clasped his, "it was not your fault," she said firmly.

"The Great Spirit knew that you loved me too much, that is why he let me live. We can have a child; we just need to keep trying."

Ujurak stared deeply into her eyes and then said, "Boy or girl?"

Maiara let out an unexpected laugh, her mood lifting considerably.

"A girl," she said, "Aputsiaq would like a little sister."

Ujurak smiled, "if we do have one, she will be as beautiful as her mother." He lifted his head and kissed her, continuously until he stopped at her neck.

Maiara knew where it would be headed, if she didn't put a stop to it now.

"Enough," she said gently, pushing his head away, "Aputsiaq will have awakened by now and I promised him berries."

"You spoil him," Ujurak chuckled as his beloved sat up.

He pulled down by the waist once more, "you'd make a wonderful mother."

Maiara leaned down and they touched foreheads.

"I love you, too"

Aputsiaq awoke to someone calling; only he didn't recognize the name.

"Alfred, are you okay?"

"Wake up, kid, I didn't mean to scare you," a different voice said, the one he heard before.

His eyes shot open and he backed away from both them only to hit a big piece of wood.

"Easy there, big fellow," the green eyed man said, "We're not here to hurt you."

Confusion filled Aputsiaq's eyes; he had no idea what these two men were saying.

He looked down and saw himself sitting on a fluffy white rock. It was bouncy and he purposely started moving up and down, seeing how high he could go.

Arthur looked lovingly at the child, "All right Alfred, settle down, you'll break the bed."

Aputsiaq immediately stopped and looked at the green eyed man.

Arthur was shocked at the intensity of the child's stare.

Alistair looked at them both, "well, I'll leave you two alone now; just glad to see the little bugger isn't dead."

Arthur snorted out a laugh and turned back to see Alfred jumping furiously on the bed again, only this time chanting, "dead, dead, dead, dead, dead!"

Arthur grabbed the boy by his waist pulling him off the bed, "Alfred, I told you to stop jumping!"

Aputsiaq looked at the green eyed man, he was familiar.

His little mouth opened and he struggled on his next word.

"A-Al-fff-red?"

"Yes, Alfred, that is your proper English name." Arthur replied.

Aputsiaq said it again, with much more ease, "Alfred!"

Arthur smiled, poking the little boy's pudgy stomach, "Alfred."

He pointed at himself, "Arthur."

Alfred giggled at the finger and grabbed it, no longer afraid.


	8. Chapter 8

Maiara composed herself and walked to her tent. She opened it and found no one, only a small lump in the middle of his mat.

Maiara smiled, "I wonder where Aputsiaq is?" She called out exaggeratedly.

She approached the lump and saw it stir.

"I wonder, is he under here?!" she cried as she pulled back the mat.

She shrieked as she only saw a large raccoon stare at her and scurry away.

Maiara's eyes widened as she frantically searched the hut and around the outside.

Tears fell from her face as she ran and burst into Ujurak's hut.

"Aputsiaq is gone!" she screamed.

Ujurak barely registered what happened as he saw Maiara run out of his hut yelling and searching for Aputsiaq.

He gathered his men and they went off searching.

Maiara on the other hand, ran towards the direction of the clearing.

"What if the pale face took him, I should've told Ujurak! What if they hurt him?" Maiara scolded herself and ran faster than she ever thought possible.

Tears clouded her vision but she kept running until she heard a voice call out,

"Kicke!"

Maiara whipped around and saw her sweet, little Aputsiaq being held by the pale faced man she had seen earlier that day.

Eyes filled with hatred, Maiara ran up and snatched Aputsiaq away from him, hugging the little boy furiously, wiping away stray tears so as to not scare the boy.

"Kicke, Arthur saved me!"

Maiara stared at Aputsiaq, dumbfounded, "saved, he didn't hurt you?"

"No, Kicke, he's very nice and his eyebrows remind me of caterpillars!"

Maiara stifled a laugh and looked up at the man, who just stood there, observing the tender scene.

Arthur held out his hand to her.

"I'm sorry for worrying you; I was going to bring the boy back."

Maiara stared at his hand, unsure of what he said.

"He said he was sorry, Kicke," piped up Aputsiaq.

Maiara looked shocked, "how did you know?"

"He taught me some of his funny language. He calls it English. When someone says 'I'm sorry' you're supposed to say 'It's okay.'

Maiara nodded at this little boy and took Arthur's hand, her mouth jumbling out the next two words.

"I-it-ss Ok-kay." Maiara smiled and looked down. She blushed, hoping her words didn't come out too mangled.

Arthur looked down at her, pleasantly surprised, and gestured for her to sit down with Alfred in between them. He might as well make friends with her; she would be of some use after all.

Ujurak stared from behind a tree in the distance; jealousy and anger creeping up.

Maiara hadn't told him that she knew there were pale faces on their land.

Why would she keep them a secret?

He glowered as he saw her cheeks dusted in light pink.

He would speak to the wise man about this, and see what must be done about these savages.


	9. Chapter 9

Long after Maiara and Arthur had finished talking, Maiara found herself walking home with Aputsiaq on her shoulders.

"Now, remember, you woke up and went to find the berries you told me about. You cannot mention the pale faced man. Let me break the news to everyone, okay?"

"Okay!" he replied.

Both walked into camp, only Maiara could sense something was wrong. It was quiet and the few who were outside were staring at her intently.

Maiara smiled as Ujurak approached her.

"Where did you find him?" he asked.

Before Maiara could open her mouth a small voice behind her blurted,

"I went to go pick some berries because I was hungry and Kicke found me, but not with Arthur, nuh-uh, we weren't with the pale faced man.

Maiara looked back in disbelief and looked up at Ujurak eyeing her.

She let out a defeated sigh.

"Yes, the pale faced man has arrived and-"

"Save your breath," Ujurak snapped, "I saw you with him in the buffalo clearing."

He turned and started walking briskly to his hut.

Maiara quickly trailed behind.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked, scoffing.

Ujurak whirled around, a hard look on his face.

"Of course I am!' he practically yelled, "How could you go off alone?! You could have been hurt or worse killed! You don't know what those people are like! If there is one, there has to be more!"

He pushed open the flaps of his hut and strode to the far side.

Maiara followed him in quickly and set Aputsiaq down on the mat.

"He didn't do anything to hurt me and he saved Aputsiaq!" Maiara retorted. "Do you think I'm stupid? Of course, I would've run the minute I suspected foul play but there wasn't any! Aputsiaq really likes him and I think it is fine if he wants to see someone who looks like him! He was happy and Arthur is teaching him English! This could make for good relations!"

"Good relations? Between who, you and Arthur?" Ujurak spat, "It seemed you had gotten very friendly in the clearing."

Time seemed to slow down and sound left the hut as Maiara's hand cut through the air leaving a stinging red imprint on Ujurak's cheek.

"Aputsiaq and I will be going to see Arthur tomorrow at high noon. If you want to come and spy like you did today, you are welcome to. For now, I suggest you stay away from me.

Maiara composed herself and grabbed Aputsiaq by the hand, pushing the flap of the hut open.

She saw all the tribe gathered around.

When they saw her glare, they scattered.

"I'm sorry, Kicke." A small voice pleaded.

Maiara lifted him up in her arms and gave him a small kiss on his cheek, tears threatening to fall from her somber eyes.

"It's not your fault, little one. Let's go to bed."


	10. Chapter 10

One month had passed since Arthur and his crew arrived in the New World.

Every day at high noon, Maiara and Aputsiaq left to go talk with Arthur and, on many occasions, explored the land with him.

Only, it wasn't Aputsiaq anymore, as of one week ago, he now wanted to be called Alfred. He never gave a specific reason why, but he was adamant about it and never responded to Aputsiaq when she called.

Maiara felt odd saying his name but slowly, after a month of learning some English words, she grew accustomed to it.

Said persons were now heading out to the buffalo clearing to meet Arthur, who wanted to go down by the rivers and see the sturgeon that they had talked of so many times.

"Arthur!" cried Alfred happily, and launched himself into the man's arms as they came into the clearing.

Maiara was left behind, walking slowly to the center.

"We go to see the lake today?" she said haltingly.

Arthur smiled and hoisted Alfred on his shoulders.

"Of course." They both started walking, Maiara leading the way, and Alfred happily chattering the whole way.

They soon reached the river and Alfred jumped off of Arthur and ran to the river happy to play with the tadpoles again.

Maiara sat down and took off her pack, watching Alfred stumble over a few rocks.

She looked at Arthur who was digging in the ground, seemingly trying to find something.

"You lose something?" she questioned.

Arthur jerked, a sheepish expression on his face, and he threw the small handful of dirt on the ground.

"Yes, actually. I'm looking for some gold." He looked away, embarrassed to have been caught/

"Gold?" Maiara was confused, she had never heard of "gold" before.

Arthur turned to her, "yes, gold, it's, well, it's small and a yellow-ish color and it can be shiny."

Maiara nodded, understanding.

"Oh, I have some right here!" She turned to her pack and rummaged through it.

Arthur blinked, astonished. Could it really have been that easy? All he needed to do was ask her?

He composed himself as she turned around, producing an ear of corn.

"Gold?" She pushed the corn into his hands.

He laughed out loud.

"No, this is not gold. Gold is smaller, valuable."

Maiara shrugged, "everything is valuable."

Arthur laughed again, louder, "Yes, to a savage like you, I suppose corn is valuable."

Maiara sighed angrily and got up quickly.

Arthur panicked, he needed to be friends with this girl, he couldn't have her angry at him.

He walked towards Maiara. She was picking up small rocks, twigs, and blades of grass.

"What are you doing?" he asked, unsure of what she was getting at.

"You'll see."


	11. Chapter 11

Arthur was starting to get impatient, but before he could speak Maiara stood up abruptly.

"Today, I want you to listen to me."

"You think I'm an ignorant savage, and you've been so many places, I guess it must be so."

She walked towards him and pulled his rifle off of his back.

"But still, I cannot see, if the savage one is me. How can there be so much that you don't know."

"I hardly think that I don't know," Arthur stuttered, insulted.

Maiara gave him a firm stare, one a mother would give to her lying child.

"You don't know."

She gave him back his rifle and took a long stick, placing it firmly in the ground, mocking a flagpole.

"You think you own whatever land, you land on. The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim."

She picked up the trinkets she had been separating before.

"But, I know every rock and tree and creature, has a life, has a spirit, has a name."

She picked up Alfred and motioned for Arthur to follow her into the forest.

They both stopped as they came across a bear. Alfred jumped from Maiara's arms and ran into the bushes.

Arthur fumbled for his rifle.

Maiara gently lowered it.

"You think the only people who are people, are the people who look and think like you."

She motioned for Arthur to come and see what she had discovered.

Arthur couldn't believe his eyes as he saw the mother bear sitting peacefully nearby, as Alfred wrestled with her two little cubs.

Maiara looked towards Arthur, "but if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew, you never knew.

She picked up Alfred once more and waved goodbye to the bears.

She walked on and stopped in another clearing.

She looked at Arthur and made his head look up.

"Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon, or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned."

They walked on to the edge of a hill.

"Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain, can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

Arthur looked confused, unsure of what she was saying, but continued following her anyway.

Suddenly, both Maiara and Alfred sprinted off towards a field of flowers and he had no choice but to follow.

Maiara laughed loudly, "come run the hidden pine trails of the forest and taste the sun sweet berries of the Earth."

Maiara pulled on Arthur's arms causing them both to trip and fall onto each other.

"Come roll in all the riches all around you and for once never wonder what they're worth."

Arthur was shocked, he had never thought about it that way but before he could reply he was pulled into a nearby lake by Alfred.

"The rainstorm and the river are my brothers."

They resurfaced and saw little animals along the bank.

"The heron and the otter are my friends."

Maiara pulled Arthur out of the lake water and pulled him into a circular clearing surrounded by the tallest trees that Arthur had ever seen.

Maiara looked at Arthur, "And we are all connected to each other, in a circle, in a hoop that never ends."

She fell on her back and Alfred did too, so Arthur lied down, putting his head next to hers.

"How high does the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know."

She grabbed his hand, and Arthur blushed. With their intertwined hands she pointed to two eagles soaring high above them and landing on one of the trees.

"And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon."

She gestured to their hands, "for whether we are white or copper skinned."

A soft breeze began rolling the trees.

"You need to sing with all the voices of the mountain, you need to paint with all the colors of the wind."

She sat up and faced him cross-legged and he turned and mirrored her actions.

She picked a handful of dirt and he put his hands under hers. She let the rich, dark Earth fall between her fingers onto his. Arthur had never seen dirt so beautiful.

"You can own the Earth and still, all you'll own is Earth until, you can paint with all the colors of the wind."

She looked down and patted the Earth back into the ground.

Arthur stared at her intently. He didn't know if it was the heat, the exhaustion, or because she looked so beautiful under the setting sun.

He lifted her chin with his hand, and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.


	12. Chapter 12

Unbeknownst to the two friends, someone was watching from the distance.

"This is what he does all day while we're all searching for his treasure?" the man thought angrily.

He had been trailing behind them ever since the morning, curious about where his captain went every day.

He was about to storm into the clearing when something caught his eye.

Maiara was stunned, but not for very long. She got up and so did Arthur, but she pushed him back to the ground.

Arthur looked up in confusion and hurt when he saw Maiara furiously wiping at her lips. Was he that different from her? Was he that out of line?

Maiara scrubbed at her lips with her hands. She looked down at Arthur and started yelling,

"No! I am with someone, I love someone else. No betrayal, this is wrong!"

Tears welled up in her eyes. While it was true that she and Ujurak hadn't spoken for a month, she still loved him. She was loyal to him and didn't want to hurt him by leaving him.

She felt dirty.

Arthur sighed in frustration, "it was just one bloody kiss. I'm sorry, but you're just so beautiful and this past month, you've opened my eyes and just…just…"

Arthur stood up again, pacing and pulling at his hair.

Maiara stared at the man.

"In my home, a kiss is more than just 'one bloody kiss.' A kiss means marriage and love."

She picked up a sleeping Alfred and turned to Arthur.

"I will go home now. I will not see you here tomorrow. I come back soon though."

She began walking away.

Arthur let out a frustrated growl, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you."

Seeing she wasn't turning around he chased after her.

He caught up to her and held her arm, she still didn't turn around.

Arthur wasn't going to force her to look so he spoke softly.

"I will still be here tomorrow, same time, same place, waiting for you."

Arthur stopped thinking, and let his heart pour out.

"You may not care for me but I care for you, deeply. A little more time and I think I would fall in love with you. I hate the man who is taking you away from me. If I could dispose of him now, I would and wait for you to fall into my arms, but I can't. If you do not come tomorrow, my heart will break, but I understand. As long as you promise to come back, I will live. Can you promise me that?"

Maiara choked back a sob, knowing she would not be able to speak.

She nodded, hoping that he would let go of her arms so she could run back home.

Arthur mustered up his courage and pulled her back into his arms, hugging her from behind, careful to avoid Alfred.

Maiara turned and placed the sleeping boy into his arms,

"Until I return," she whispered and gave him one final hug.

He breathed in her scent until she forcefully broke from his arms, walking into the thick forest.

Alistair chuckled darkly.

"I know what to do." He giggled madly, whistling an old Scottish lullaby.

"I know exactly what to do."


End file.
